Unaffected

Chapter Twelve

"Mum, wake up!" Ginny opened her eyes a crack to see her daughter jump onto her bed. She closed her eyes again and smiled.

"Sweeting, why don't you come here and lay beside Mummy," she said, yawning. She was still in a decidedly drowsy state; caught between sleep and wakefulness.

"Mum, get up!" Lily persisted, giggling. Ginny kept her eyes closed, but smiled at the happiness in her voice.

"I will, I will," Ginny said, laughing. "Just give me a minute to wake up," she said, yawning again.

"But Mum!" Lily was still giggling. "I wanted to tell you something important."

"Oh, alright," Ginny said, opening her eyes fully. She was greeted by a pair of highly amused slate eyes, and gave a small scream before pulling the covers over her face. His laughter filled the room, and Lily giggled. "What are you doing here?" she called from beneath the blanket.

"I came to see if you'd like to join me for breakfast," he said, shooting a quick wink at Lily. "But it would seem that you're more intent on sleeping at the present time."

"Oh, good Gods," Ginny finally said, pushing the blankets away and sitting up. "Breakfast would be lovely." She sighed. Why was she acting embarrassed around him like this? It wasn't like she was dressed indecently, or that he'd even be interested in her if she had been. She gave him a very sleepy smile. "Let me get dressed, and I'll be ready to go." He nodded and followed Lily out of the room.

"Since when do I behave like a stupid little schoolgirl with a crush?" she fumed at herself. She stood and went to her closet, then pulled out a pair of jeans and a baggy t-shirt that used to belong to Harry. The faded lettering read "Puddlemere United." She slipped on a pair of sandals and pulled a brush through her hair quickly before bounding down the stairs. Lily frowned when she saw her mother's clothing.

"Mum, why are you wearing a Puddlemere shirt? I thought you liked the Falcons." Ginny grinned.

"I do, poppet, but I don't own a Falcons shirt, so this will have to make do." Draco's eyes widened, and he gave her an odd look.

"You don't have a Falcons shirt?"

"No," she said, tucking loose strands of hair behind her ears. "I don't. But I have this shirt, and an old Cannons shirt that used to belong to Ron." He studied her for a moment. She looked beautiful. She wore no makeup and hadn't fixed her hair in any elaborate way; she had a natural beauty radiating from her. He thought that it was entirely possible that she looked more beautiful in jeans and an old shirt than she had in that green sundress, or anything else she'd worn, for that matter. Just maybe.

"Well, shall we be off, then?" he asked, regathering his thoughts. She nodded and reached for Lily's hand. One tiny little hand gripped hers, and the other one reached for Draco.

"Where are we going?" Ginny asked, stifling another yawn. He bit his lip to hide his grin, and caught Lily smiling.

"I hadn't really thought about that yet, to be perfectly honest." He didn't know how to explain to her that he'd woken up thinking about her and Lily, and he wanted to spend every moment he could with them before Natasha returned later that night. Being with Ginny and Lily made him feel as though he had stumbled into a waking dream; he'd never felt so accepted.

"Well, how about Lily and I take you to one of our favorite restaurants?" she suggested.

"Sounds good."

"Oh, wait," she said, turning to him. "It's a Muggle place. Maybe you should come up with something after all." He looked slightly offended.

"I don't mind going to a Muggle restaurant," he said, frowning. She blinked. "Not if it's okay by Lily." The child beamed, and Ginny smiled at him.

"You really are a sucker for a pretty girl," she laughed.

"You have no idea," he muttered under his breath.

"Do you mind terribly if we walk there? It's only up the street, and since we can't use magic in front of the Muggles anyway..." her voice trailed off.

"A walk would be lovely. It might wake some of us up," he teased, winking at Lily. Lily giggled and peeked at her mother, who was arching an eyebrow at her.

"I can't help but feel that it's a bad idea for you and Lily to get so close," she laughed, closing the door behind them. "You two can gang up on me too easily."

"So what do you normally do on Sundays?" he asked, trying to make conversation as they walked.

"You mean when I'm not waking up to strange men in my bedroom?" she laughed, shooting him an amused glance. His cheeks turned slightly pink, and he had the good grace to look sheepish.

"Well, I was going to send you an owl, but I thought that maybe a Muggle might see it go into your house, and I didn't want to take that chance. I thought about flying here, but that was totally out of the question. It didn't leave me any options."

"So you decided to opt for breaking and entering?" her eyes were twinkling.

"Something like that," he laughed. Lily swung their hands as she walked between them. "So, what do you normally do on Sundays?"

"When it's nice, we go to the park and read and play. When it rains, we stay home and bake and read."

"I'm noticing a common theme here. What do you read?" he asked, not bothering to mask the curiosity in his voice. She shrugged.

"It depends on our mood. Sometimes we read Wizard stories, and sometimes we read Muggle stories. Sometimes she plays and I read poetry."

"Poetry?" he asked, surprised. "I didn't have you pegged as the sensitive poetry-reading type."

"What type did you have me pegged for?" she asked, smiling.

"I'm not sure, but that certainly wasn't it." She laughed.

"Well, I do rather enjoy poetry - Muggle more than Wizard."

"Would you care to read some this afternoon? With me, I mean?" She was caught off guard and stopped walking. She opened and closed her mouth several times before giving him a strange look, and nodded.

"I will, if you're sure you want to." She started walking again, her stomach jumping around nervously.

"I'd love to. I've never read or heard any Muggle poetry, or literature, for that matter. It would be fascinating."

"Would it?"

"Don't act so surprised, Gin," he laughed. "If you're interested in it, there must be something to it, right?" She opened the door of the restaurant, unsure what to make of this strange turn of events. They sat down in a booth, and Lily scooted in beside Draco. The waitress approached their table and gave a half-hearted smile.

"What can I get for you folks today?"

"Pancakes," Lily said enthusiastically. The waitress nodded and made a note of it on her pad, then looked at Ginny expectantly.

"I'll have the cheese omelette," she said. The waitress scratched with her pen, then looked at Draco.

"I'll have the same." She turned and walked away, and he arched an eyebrow at Ginny.

"Omelettes are my favorite thing to eat for breakfast."

"They're Mum's, too," Lily piped up. "She gets them everytime we come here."

"Is that so?" Lily nodded and kicked her legs beneath the table.

"Mum, are we going to the park?" she asked. Ginny nodded.

"I believe so, sweeting." Lily nodded, then turned to Draco with wide eyes.

"Can you take me on your Firebolt like you said?" Ginny arched an eyebrow at Draco and tried to look disapproving, but it didn't work. He grinned.

"Not today, Lils. Maybe next weekend, once your Mum has had some time to think about it." Ginny gaped at him, and the waitress sat their plates in front of them on the table. He looked up and caught Ginny still staring. "What?"

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head. Then, "You're full of surprises, do you know that, Draco Malfoy?"

"Is that a compliment or a bad thing?" She watched as he began cutting Lily's food up for her, and bit her lip before answering.

"It's a compliment." For the most part after that, breakfast passed in silence, except for Lily's occasional question about the day's events. Were they going to play frisbee? (Draco frowned at this; what was a 'frisbee'?) Were they going to fly a kite? Were they going to ride bikes? (Another thing that confused him.) It was during one of their silent moments when Ginny looked up from her coffee and met Draco's eyes. "You're going to be a wonderful father, Draco."

"What?" he looked stunned and almost dropped his coffee. Lily smothered a giggle.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I didn't mean to surprise you. Just watching you with Lily- well, there's no doubt in my mind that when you and Natasha decide to do it that you will be an excellent father."

"Thank you," he said, his cheeks turning pink. He turned and looked at Lily, giving her a quick wink. "She makes it look easy."

"Are we going to the park now?" Lily asked excitedly. Ginny pulled some money out of her pocket and put it on the table, and Draco frowned.

"This is the second time that you've paid for my meal," he said darkly. "The man should always be the one who pays." She gave him a shrewd look.

"Don't go and revert to your high-and-mighty self around me. I paid, and I was glad to do it. Live with it." She stood and he grinned at her.

"Only if you'll agree to let me take care of lunch."

"Done," she said, sticking her hand out. He shook it, and for a moment, she could have sworn that she felt his thumb brushing lightly across the back of her hand. I must have imagined it.

"Park! Park! Park!" Lily chanted. Ginny laughed and watched as Draco scooped her up onto his shoulders, where she began squealing happily. He followed Ginny outside and fell into step beside her.

"First I need to go to a bookstore, if you don't mind too much," she said, watching his reaction. "A Muggle bookstore."

"Don't mind a bit, do we, Lils?" The little girl responded with a giggle as Draco spun her in a circle. Ginny rolled her eyes and sighed melodramatically.

"Why is it that men are so attracted to my daughter and not me?" She laughed. A strange look surfaced on his features, and she blinked. "I was kidding, Draco! Lighten up!"

"Oh, I knew that," he said, smiling. He'd been thrown for a loop, though; his initial reaction had been the urge to take her in his arms and smother her with kisses, telling her that she was attractive. The thought had scared him. He knew that he'd thought she was attractive from the first day he'd stepped into her office to discuss his mother, and it was terrifying to realize that he was growing more attracted to her every day. It was getting harder and harder to fight the urges that surfaced when he was around her - he wanted to kiss her like he had in the bar. He wanted to hold her like he had when they'd flooed together. He wanted to watch Quidditch with her, and see her face alight with the passion that she felt when she watched the sport. But most of all, he wanted to spend time with her and Lily together, as a family.

The thought made him freeze in his tracks.

"Are you alright?" Ginny asked, turning concerned eyes to him. She had gotten several steps in front of him before she'd realized that he wasn't walking beside her. He swallowed hard and forced a smile.

"Yes, I'm fine, thanks." The look on her face was enough to tell him that she didn't believe him for a second. "I was just wondering what time Natasha was coming home." She seemed to accept this, and nodded.

"You know," she said thoughtfully. "I really think it'd do you some good if you'd bring her in this week for some couples counseling."

"Do you think you could help us?" he asked dully. The last thing he wanted to do was expose Ginny to Natasha again.

"I could try," she said reasonably. "Besides, since you're going to be married, this is a good, healthy step towards achieving that goal. Who knows, maybe you'll finally set a date," she teased. He didn't look amused.

"I think you're right," he said, nodding. "I need to get her in there. We need to talk about some things." Ginny shuddered; the tone of his voice made the statement pregnant with meaning. It sounded ominous.

"Well, just let me know, and I'll arrange it with Violet." His dark look evolved into one of amusement.

"So I don't have to go through the channels with your secretary now?" She smiled, and his heart skipped a beat.

"I suppose I'm willing to make some exceptions for my friends," she admitted. "Do you think Natasha will be open to the idea of a session?"

"No."

"Oh," she said, frowning. "How do you plan to get her in there, then?"

"If she wants to marry me, she'll come," he said it with such an air of finality that it made her shudder. She pushed open the door of a small, rustic-looking building that Draco hadn't even noticed was there, and he followed her inside. He was immediately greeted with the scent of ancient tomes; it permeated his pores and assaulted his senses. Ginny didn't seem affected by the scent, and disappeared down one of the long aisles. Draco was starting to feel heady and dizzy when she came back into view, cradling two black books reverently in her arms. She moved to the register to pay, and he watched with a fuzzy feeling as she handed over her money and reclaimed the books. She pushed open the front door, and he was glad for the fresh air that invaded his lungs, clearing them of the musty smell.

"Can we go to the park now?" Lily begged. Ginny smiled and nodded, glancing back down at her books. When his mind had cleared enough, Draco peered curiously at them.

"What kind of books are they?"

"Poetry," she said, a faint blush rising in her cheeks. "Actually, I used to own books that were similar to these, but I sold them last year." Something in her voice made him look up, and he caught the wistful, pained look that crossed her face momentarily.

"Did you and Pot-" he took a deep breath before correcting himself. "Did you and Harry enjoy reading poetry together, then?" She flushed, but looked at him anyway.

"Not particularly," she said, looking sheepish. A wave of relief washed over him, although he wasn't sure why he was relieved. Because for once, I'll get to do something with her that Potter never did. He was immediately ashamed and surprised at the thought. "He, Ron, and Neville would play some ridiculous game, or go out and get pissed, while Hermione and I would stay at home and read. Sometimes we would discuss it, too. I suppose I just get sad remembering how much fun that used to be."

"Was that after you were married?" He was trying to refrain himself from asking too many prying questions, but she seemed to be in a talking mood, and he was curious.

"No, that was before."

"I've been wondering," he said, lifting Lily off of his shoulders and placing her on her feet between them. She immediately grasped one of each of their hands in hers and began humming tunelessly to herself. "Why did Granger marry Longbottom, instead of your brother? I always thought that they were mad for each other." She gave a soft laugh.

"Well, it wasn't for lack of trying on either of their parts. They did have some feelings for each other, and they tried their hand at something more than friendship during their seventh year. It didn't work out for a lot of different reasons. Neville asked Hermione to tutor him in Potions for the NEWTs, and they started dating shortly afterwards."

"Oh," he said, disappointed. He'd expected more of a story than that; something exciting, like Ron and Neville fighting for her attention, or something. She caught the look on his face and smiled.

"Ron wasn't happy about her dating Neville of all people, but when he saw how she went ga-ga over him everytime he walked in the room, he relented. Neville was such a good guy. He became one of Ron and Harry's best friends, too, and the trio turned into a quartet."

"Now that you mention it, I do remember seeing him around them a lot more towards the end of the year."
"Well, you had a lot going on, so I'm surprised you'd remember any of it at all," she said, shrugging. He cast her a sideways glance and saw her staring down at the pavement as they walked.

"How about you and Pot-" he closed his eyes in frustration for a moment, and missed her knowing grin.

"Draco, you can call him Potter. I know who you're talking about. I don't expect you to just come out and start saying his name when you're not used to calling him by it. What about us?" He stared at her, amazed by her perceptive abilities.

"How did you start dating?"

"Are you sure you really want me to talk about him?" she asked, not missing her daughter's jade eyes staring expectantly at her. He nodded, and she sighed. "Well, I had been attracted to him since his first year at Hogwarts. I'd only met him for a few minutes on Platform 9 ¾ before he and Ron boarded the Express, but the moment I saw him, I knew."

"Did you know who he was?"

"Not until later on that week, when Ron sent an owl home to Mum about becoming his friend. Actually, I seem to remember reading something about you in that letter, too, now that I think about it," she said. He arched an eyebrow.

"Can't have been anything good."

"Honestly, I don't even remember, but you're probably right." She gazed at the sidewalk again. "Anyway, you remember that fiasco with the Chamber, and Harry rescuing me." His entire body flooded with guilt and shame at the recollection; it had been his own father who'd caused all of the trouble and caused her to almost be killed. "If it was possible, I became even more infatuated at that point. When I hit my fourth year, though, I realized that he was never going to notice me, and I moved on. I dated several different boys that year, and the year after."

"Like who?"

"Oh, let me think," she bit her lip and screwed up her face trying to remember. It was all he could do not to laugh. "Michael Corner, Dean Thomas- oh, a lot of Gryffindors," she shrugged nonchalantly.

"Corner wasn't a Gryffindor," he pointed out. "He was a Ravenclaw. So you liked the brainy type, then?"

"I hardly think you could classify Dean Thomas or any of my subsequent boyfriends as 'brainy,'" she laughed. He grinned.

"Well, I wasn't going to say that..."

"No, but you were thinking it," she said, her eyes sparkling.

"So when did Potter come into the picture?"

"It was right after the Christmas Holidays during my sixth year - your seventh," she said, nodding. "I don't know what happened over that break, but when I got back, I knew something had changed. I would catch him giving me these really strange looks that left me feeling as though I'd run a marathon. He would find excuses to brush up against me - like one day at dinner, he waited until I reached for a roll, and he reached for one at the same time. His hand touched mine, and I waited for him to jump away like he normally did, but he didn't do that. Instead, he took my hand and held it, and surprised everyone at the table. After that, we were pretty much inseparable."

"That's not as sweepingly romantic as I thought it would be," he teased. She grinned and her cheeks turned pink.

"It was romantic, though. Harry swept me off of my feet. He talked Quidditch to me. He got on well with my parents and my brothers. And the way he looked at me..." her voice trailed off. "Like he'd spent years in the desert without anything to drink, and I was the water he thirsted for."

"That's very poetic," he said, impressed. He was starting to feel the burn of jealousy again; no one had ever looked at him that way. She smiled at him for a moment, then turned to watch as Lily broke free of them and ran to a swingset.

"Yes, well. Love can be a very poetic thing." She picked up a pebble and glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then transfigured it into a soft, red blanket. She spread it out on the grass and sat down, and he followed suit. She positioned herself so that she was lying on her stomach, with Lily in full view. He eased onto his back and stared at the clouds.

"Do you miss him terribly?" his voice was soft. She glanced at him, then opened one of her books.

"Sometimes. Although I've found that here lately, I haven't thought of him as much as I used to do."

"Why is that?" he asked, turning his head to look at her.

"I'm not sure. Maybe it's because of Ron and Blaise's good news. Or maybe it's because of you." His eyes opened wide.

"Me?"

"I've never had a friend quite like you, Draco. You're so interesting. I can have intelligent conversations with you. You love being around my daughter. I must admit that I've grown rather... fond of you."

"Really?" he asked, propping himself up on his elbows. She nodded without looking at him. "Well, in that case, I feel obligated to tell you that I've grown quite fond of you as well." She looked at him and smiled, even though her cheeks looked flushed.

"You have?"

"Yes. Well, I could hardly stand to leave last night, we were having so much fun. Yesterday was one of the best days of my life, if not the best. I've never had so much fun."

"I'm glad," she said, grinning. "But it pains me to know that you enjoyed watching my brothers take the mickey out of me." He laughed and settled back down on his back.

"I think you're the one who did the taking," he teased. "You were a wildcat! I almost felt sorry for poor Ron." She giggled.

"Poor Ron? What about Poor Ginny, always being teased because she likes the Falcons? What about Poor Ginny, huh?" she laughed and he grinned.

"You couldn't make me feel sorry for you if you tried," he teased. "You have the world's most gorgeous daughter, and I am totally jealous." She gave him a look of surprise, but he didn't see it. His eyes were closed. Suddenly she wanted nothing more than to lean over and press her lips to his; he looked vulnerable and inviting, just lying there like that. He was enveloped in the rays of the sun, and looked tempting enough that she began leaning towards him. She'd been quiet for too long, though, and his eyes opened. She jerked back and flipped through her book.

Draco's breath caught painfully in his throat. He'd seen that look often enough to know what it meant; he just didn't understand why it was on her face. He looked down and noticed that her hands were trembling slightly, then looked back up at her face. Confusion was etched all over it. He bit the inside of his cheek and laid back down. He closed his eyes again, wondering if she'd dare another advance.

She didn't understand it. What had come over her? She was angry with herself. He had a fiancée, and she'd even met the woman. Why did she feel such a strong pull to kiss him, then? She flipped through the pages of her book, looking for an appropriate poem. She felt strange about reading love poems to him now; she was thoroughly confused, and that would only confuse things more.

"Are you going to read to me?" he asked softly. A tiny tremor of excitement went through her; his voice was low and sultry. It made her feel as though he could see straight into her and see her thoughts. That voice made her want to kiss him even more; she chanced another glance at him. His lips were slightly parted, and his chest was rising and falling gently, almost as though he was asleep. His words were the only indication that he was awake. She looked up to make sure Lily was alright, then cleared her throat.

"Yes," she said quietly. She found one of her favorite poems and cleared her throat again. "This one is called 'Funeral Blues." He opened an eye and peeked at her.

"A bit depressing sounding. Is it as depressing as it sounds?"

"Yes and no," she said. "It's a sort of love poem, but it is sad. I can read something else, if you'd like."

"No, please read it." He closed his eye again, and she licked her lips nervously.

"Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone. Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone. Silence the pianos and with muffled drum, bring out the coffin. Let the mourners come." He sucked in a deep breath and opened his eyes.

"Let aeroplanes circle, moaning overhead; scribbling on the sky the message 'He is Dead.' Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves, let the traffic policeman wear black cotton gloves." He turned his eyes to her as her voice began to quaver slightly.

"He was my north, my south, my east and west. My working week and my Sunday rest. My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song. I thought that love would last forever - I was wrong." A sob caught in her throat, and she fought back the onslaught of tears, determined to finish reading the poem to him.

"The stars are not wanted now; put out every one. Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun. Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood, for nothing now can ever come to any good." Her voice died off as she finished, and the tears slipped from her eyes. He reached over and put a hand on her shoulder, his eyes full of concern.

"Are you alright?" She nodded and brushed the tears away angrily.

"I'm fine. I don't know why I chose to read that one to you straight off."

"I think I have a good idea why," he said gently. She raised her chocolate eyes to his, and the compassion she saw dried up her tears.

"You do?" she sniffled.

"I do. And it's alright. If you need to cry, cry. I'm here for that kind of stuff now."

"You're amazing," she said, the tears welling up again. "You've seen me crying three times now, all over the same thing, and you're still telling me to let it out."

"What else would I tell you?" he asked, somewhat perplexed.

"I know what the old Draco would tell me," she said, giving him a soft laugh. Without thinking about it, he reached out and caressed her cheek, wiping the tears away gently with his thumb. Her smile faded and her breaths began coming in ragged gasps.

"The old Draco doesn't exist anymore, Gin," he said quietly. He stroked her cheek for another long moment as she held her breath, waiting for something to happen. He pulled his hand away and laid back down, although he didn't close his eyes this time. She struggled to force her breathing back into a normal rhythm, flooded with disappointment. She glanced up to make sure Lily was alright, and found that the little girl was watching them sharply. When she saw her mother looking, however, she turned and went back to playing in the sandbox she was sitting in.

"Would you like to hear another poem? A happier one, perhaps?" she asked, forcing a laugh. He turned his stormy eyes to her and nodded mutely. He watched as she flipped through the book, looking for something lighter. A whirlpool of emotions were swirling inside of him as he lay there. He wanted to kiss her, but it would have been wrong in her moment of weakness like that. She would have been thinking of Harry, and if he was going to kiss her, he wanted to make damn sure it was him she was thinking about.

He shouldn't kiss her. He shouldn't want to kiss her. All of the reasons why he shouldn't were screaming in his head. She was a widow who was still mourning the loss of her husband and her child's father. She was his first real friend and kissing her could screw that up royally. He had a fiancée. The last thought hit him hard, and he sighed silently. Natasha had developed quite a knack lately for ruining his fun, even when she wasn't around to do so physically. Maybe the session with Ginny was just what the both of them needed to prove if their relationship was going to work or not.

"Well, it's not happy, exactly, but it's not as depressing either," she laughed, selecting another one. She cleared her throat, and he continued watching her. "My life closed twice before its close; it yet remains to see, if Immortality unveil a third event to me. So huge, so hopeless to conceive, as these that twice befell. Parting is all we know of heaven, and all we need of hell." He gave a low whistle, and she nodded.
"There are so many implications there."

"I know. That's what I love about poetry, the different nuances and all of the different directions that the words can make you go." She chewed on her bottom lip and glanced at him apologetically. "I suppose this really isn't any fun for you, is it? I mean, watching Lily play and me reading you all of this mushy girl stuff." He folded his hands beneath his head and stared at her thoughtfully for a moment.

"I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be." Something in his eyes was making her stomach turn somersaults. His eyes were so cloudy, and the look he was giving her was really... intense. "Please, continue. It's nice that someone actually thinks that I'm smart enough to discuss scholarly things with, instead of assuming that all I know of the world is evil and black."

"That's horrible," she said, feeling a pang of sympathy. He didn't say anything; he lay there and waited for her to continue. She looked up to make sure Lily was okay, and saw the little girl working intently on a masterpiece in the sandbox. She smiled to herself, and looked back down for another poem.

"Read another love poem," he said softly. She nodded without looking up and ran her finger down the index page. She found one and flipped to the page.

"Heart, we will forget him! You and I, tonight! You may forget the warmth he gave, I will forget the light. When you have done, pray tell me, that I my thoughts may dim; Haste! Lest while you're lagging, I may remember him!" Draco rolled onto his side and propped his head up on his elbow.

"Are Muggles always so depressing?" he wrinkled his nose, and she giggled. He was so cute that in a moment of impetuousness, she leaned forward and dropped a quick kiss on the tip of his nose. She pulled away quickly, her heart pounding madly, and felt herself fumbling with her book.

"I-I have to go check on Lily," she stammered quickly, jumping to her feet and almost running away. He stared after her incredulously. Neither of them had the alcohol to blame for their actions now; they were both totally sober. She had done that of her own volition, and it was both thrilling him and frightening him. He wanted to call her back and snog her senseless, so caught up in the moment that he forgot about the blonde woman who was probably already back at the Manor waiting for him.

Ginny plopped down next to Lily in the sandbox and cradled her face in her hands. What was she doing? She just couldn't seem to control herself around him today. Every little thing he did made her want to either wrap her arms around him or kiss him until her lips were so sore that she couldn't take any more. She looked up at Lily, who was watching her with an odd expression on her face.

"You okay, Mum?"

"I'm fine, poppet." The child gave her a doubtful look, and she sighed. "Alright, I'm not fine. But it's not something that you need to know about." Lily glanced over to the blanket and saw Draco sitting with his back to them, running his hands through his hair, then looked back up at her mother.

"I love him." Ginny's eyes flew wide open in surprise and she stared at Lily.

"You do?"

"I told him I did."

"You did?" Ginny's mouth dropped open.

"I told him last night, when we got back from shopping." The little girl looked down at the sand and scooped up a handful, letting it slide through her fingers. "Is he going to live with us?"

"N-No, Lily," she said, shaking her head. "He's going to be married. You met his girlfriend, remember?"

"She's a nasty lady," she said, frowning. "And besides, he likes you better." Ginny laughed.

"Well, I suppose you can always hope, can't you?" She thought for a moment. "She is nasty, isn't she?" Lily nodded vehemently.

"Why can't he just tell her he loves you?" she asked innocently. Ginny reached out and stroked her cheek gently.

"Because love doesn't work that way, sweeting. It's not like a switch you can turn off and on. You might wish for him to love me, but that doesn't make it so. He loves his girlfriend, and they're going to be married someday soon."

"He doesn't love her."

"And how would you know that?" Ginny asked, amused.

"He doesn't look at her the way he looks at you, Mum." Ginny's heart very nearly stopped, and she stared.

"You are far too observant to only be three years old," she murmured, folding her hands in her lap. "But he doesn't look at me like that because he loves me, he looks at me like that because I'm the first real friend he's ever had."

"He doesn't look that way at Uncle Ron or Uncle Fred."

"Poppet, I know how much you like him, but that's no reason to-" she stopped talking when a shadow fell over her shoulder, and she turned to see Draco towering over them.

"Mister Draco, I don't like your girlfriend," she said bluntly. Ginny glared at her.

"Lily, that isn't very nice! Apologize to him this instant!"

"I'm sorry I don't like your girlfriend," she said stubbornly. Ginny opened her mouth, but Draco cut her off.

"Gin, she has a perfect right to feel that way, and I appreciate her honesty." Ginny promptly shut her mouth and stood.

"Come on, Lily. It's time to go home." Lily stood, looking dejected. Ginny smiled at Draco. "We're going to go ahead and go home. Maybe we'll run into each other sometime this week. Please consider bringing Natasha in for counseling with you." She grabbed Lily's hand and began walking away. Draco stared after her, then sprinted off to catch up with her.

"What about your books?"

"I was going to give them to you if you liked them," she said, her cheeks turning pink. "I'd like it if you kept them." He nodded mutely and watched her walk away with Lily; watching her back growing smaller and smaller in the distance. When she was out of sight, he sat down on the blanket and picked up the book that she'd been reading from, and flipped through the pages. He was closed it and picked up the second, smaller book. He opened it and glanced through it, noticing that it was mostly filled with inspirational quotes, and smiled to himself, remembering their conversation during their picnic when they'd spoken about Remus.

He closed his eyes and flipped through the pages, touching his finger to a random spot. When he opened them and read the quote, his world came screeching to a halt. "I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. ~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning." The book tumbled out of his hand and fell haphazardly onto the red blanket as he stared off into space.

Wasn't that what was so wonderful about being with her? The way her smile lit up the entire room; the way she laughed with careless abandon; the way she looked up at the ceiling when she was thinking about something? But even better than that, when he was with her, he felt like a new person. He felt whole and wanted, and even better than that, she listened to him. She didn't feign interest - it was real interest. He knew the difference. When he was with her, he wanted to be a better person, because he wanted to be worthy of her company.

He remembered the kisses they'd shared in the bar, and the kiss she'd just given him minutes ago, and his stomach felt like it had bottomed out. His eyes flew wide open, and his jaw dropped slightly. She'd told him that love felt like falling. Wasn't that the sensation he was feeling now? Wasn't that what he'd been feeling for her since that first appointment? Just thinking about her made him feel as though he was flying high above the ground, soaring through the air. His face dropped into his hands, and behind his closed eyes, all he could see was her.

That was when he knew he was in love.

· "Funeral Blues" is a work by the fabulous W.H. Auden.
· "Parting" is a work by the excellent Emily Dickinson.
· "Untitled" is also by the venerated Emily Dickinson. (Yes, I am a huge fan)